Community Geriatrician

Comprehensive geriatric assessment of elderly patients in their own home or community clinic.

Typical cases include:

• Patients with complex co-morbidities
• Frequent users of GP or acute services
• Complex medical/social problems including cognitive impairment and capacity issues
• Anything else the GP is struggling with

Support and advice is available through the Geriatricians during the week for GPs with admission avoidance if you are unsure whether your patient is safe to stay at home. These patients often require input from the rapid response team as well.

Patients who require rapid access for diagnosis or assessment should be referred for a RACOP appointment, and referrers may want to clearly indicate this at the point of referral. Same day imaging and bloods are not available at community RACOP and you may wish to consider referring more acute patients to RBH RACOP

Email racop@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

The purpose is to see older patients who need urgent specialist medical assessment. It is used as a means of preventing admission to hospital where the patient may be able to remain at home with guidance from the consultant with support from intermediate care services.

RACOP clinics are led by a consultant or Specialist Registrar in Care of the Elderly and are based at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Prospect Park Hospital, West Berkshire Community Hospital and Wokingham Hospital.

This service is only available 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.